NAIROBI, Kenya, April 2 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has issued a stern warning to cartels exploiting miraa farmers, vowing to eliminate them just as the government dealt with bandits and terrorists.
Speaking in Maua, Meru County, where he accompanied President William Ruto on his Mt. Kenya development tour, Kindiki assured farmers that the government is committed to improving their earnings by dismantling exploitative networks in the miraa sector.
“Some cartels have, for many years, taken advantage of the hard sweat and blood of miraa farmers. They have created chaos to oppress them, but the President has given an order that the cartels must go,” Kindiki declared.
He vowed to personally take charge of efforts to eradicate cartels in the miraa sector, likening the crackdown to the government’s recent successes in fighting banditry and terrorism.
“Kindly delegate to me the role of dealing with the cartels because I will not be lenient with them, just as we dealt with bandits and terrorists when I was Interior Cabinet Secretary,,” he warned.
The Deputy President, who was addressing residents after inspecting the construction of the Maua Town Sewer Line in Igembe South Constituency, emphasized that the government will not tolerate individuals who seek to destabilize the sector at the expense of hardworking farmers.
He urged farmers to remain patient as the government implements reforms aimed at stabilizing the miraa industry and ensuring fair prices.
As part of the government’s broader agricultural reform agenda, Kindiki noted that miraa farmers will benefit from guaranteed minimum returns, a directive recently issued by President Ruto.
Kindiki expressed that the initiative aligns with similar interventions in the coffee, tea, and sugarcane sectors, where farmers have seen improved earnings following the removal of cartels.
“The Agriculture Cabinet Secretary has put in place guaranteed minimum returns for miraa farmers, and the government is doing everything possible to ensure that the new prices are implemented,” Kindiki stated.
The Deputy President highlighted ongoing government projects aimed at transforming the livelihoods of Meru residents.
He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to fulfilling the President’s pledges, including infrastructure, electricity expansion, and economic empowerment for small-scale traders.
“The President is here to give us a development progress report on the commitments he made. He has only been in office for two and a half years and has already done many things for us. He will fulfill every promise he has made,” Kindiki assured.
He cited the construction of a modern market in Maua town and 400 additional markets nationwide as part of the government’s effort to provide dignified trading spaces for small-scale traders.
The Deputy President also underscored the government’s ongoing efforts to expand electricity access in Meru County, revealing that 20,000 households will be connected to power under the Last Mile Connectivity Project at a cost of Sh1.8 billion.
Source: capitalfm
